Lucky Mutual Aid Society (4)

From the audience, an excited middle-aged man in the crowd took the microphone from Matsui and stood up. "Hello everyone, some of you might know me. My name is Kuroda Nobunaga, and I'm a truck driver."

"Hello, Kuroda," President Oiwa said with a smile.

"Hello, Kuroda!" the entire venue shouted in unison, as if they had rehearsed it beforehand, or perhaps they had done this sort of thing many times.

"Thank you, everyone!" Encouraged by the crowd, Kuroda seemed to gain more confidence. He said, "As I mentioned, I'm a truck driver. I had an accident while transporting goods before, and lost a very valuable shipment. I had to pay a lot of money in compensation. Not long after, my wife left me with our child. To escape my debts, I lived as a homeless person in a park for half a year. If I hadn't accidentally joined this group, I might have lived my entire life in a daze, rotting away... Thank you, President Oiwa!"

Midway through his speech, Kuroda choked up. With a hoarse voice, he bowed deeply to President Oiwa on stage and thanked him profusely.

"Kuroda-kun, this is not my accomplishment alone, but everyone's," President Oiwa said humbly. "We at the Lucky Mutual Aid Society are all children forgotten by God. Only by sticking together can we move forward. We are like a big family, sharing the joys and sorrows of our companions. Kuroda, quickly share your good news with everyone. I'm sure they're all looking forward to it."

"Yes! President! After that, I finally made up my mind and visited the owner of my old delivery company," Kuroda said excitedly. "Through my persistent efforts, I successfully earned the boss's forgiveness. He kindly agreed to keep me on and let me work off my debt. I got my job back! And I also reconnected with my wife and child recently. My life has finally come out of the slump and is becoming more and more fortunate. This is all thanks to everyone in the society! Thanks to that ritual! Long live the Lucky Mutual Aid Society!"

"Congratulations, Kuroda!" President Oiwa smiled and started the applause.

"Congratulations!"

"Wonderful news, wonderful news."

"You did great, Kuroda!"

The venue erupted in thunderous applause. Kuroda, overjoyed by everyone's congratulations, kept bowing to the people around him, expressing his gratitude.

"Heh~ This is really heartwarming. It almost makes me want to join this big family. I've been pretty unlucky myself," Qian Xiaoyi observed coldly, his words dripping with sarcasm. He was watching the area around Kuroda's neck. Kuroda wore a pendant on a cord around his neck, but it was hidden by his collar, so its appearance was unclear.

Inuyama Heita quietly asked, "This looks no different from any ordinary mutual aid group, doesn't it?"

"The key is that 'ritual' he mentioned," Qian Xiaoyi replied. "Just wait, it'll be here any moment."

Inuyama Heita suppressed his unease and waited quietly for the "any moment" Qian Xiaoyi had spoken of. The next part of the program was similar to before, with several members being chosen from the crowd who had emerged from dark lives thanks to "joining the Lucky Mutual Aid Society." They were to share their experiences, and of course, their speeches always ended with thanks to everyone. Under their influence, everyone in the venue felt a strong bond connecting them, like a community of fate, or as President Oiwa had said, a family.

"...Thank you for sharing your experience, Miko." After the last member had finished sharing their experience, President Oiwa finally stopped inviting others to speak. Like a kind elder, he spread his arms with a smile and said, "Through our collective efforts, so many brothers and sisters have overcome misfortune and welcomed the arrival of Lady Luck. This is our shared achievement. Please applaud for them and for yourselves. You deserve it."

The venue burst into thunderous applause. Everyone's faces were flushed with pride, as if they could see their future selves. As long as they stayed here, they would eventually welcome their own lucky moment.

When the applause gradually subsided, President Oiwa continued, "The reason for gathering everyone here today, besides catching up and understanding recent developments, is of course for another matter. I'm sure you've all guessed it. That's right, recently, I received a revelation that another lucky family member has been favored by Lady Luck and is ready for the 'ritual.' To be precise, she isn't a member yet, but a relative of a member. But that's alright; after the ritual, she will be one of us. Let's welcome – Miss Suzuki!"

"Here she comes!" Inuyama Heita's spirits lifted as he stared at the stage.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Ms. Suzuki and her daughter, Suzuki, came onto the stage from backstage. Ms. Suzuki appeared very excited, constantly whispering something into Suzuki's ear. Suzuki, on the other hand, looked quite impatient, seemingly wanting to get this over with quickly.

"Hmm, it looks like that girl isn't brainwashed or anything," Qian Xiaoyi mused, stroking his chin. "She must have agreed to some condition from her mother, taken a few days off, and was brought here semi-forcibly. It seems the situation isn't as serious as I imagined."

"Aren't we going to do something now?" Inuyama Heita asked. "Are we just going to sit here and wait for their ritual to finish?"

Qian Xiaoyi glanced at him sideways. "What do you want me to do? Go up and stop them without even knowing the specifics? Be careful that it's not the president who gets arrested, but us. Heitaro, why do you seem so invested in this? I never realized you were such a warm-hearted person, especially when they're just classmates you barely know."

Inuyama Heita fell silent, his eyes darting around as if lost in thought.

Ignoring the strange young man, Qian Xiaoyi continued to watch the stage. President Oiwa wasn't making any unusual moves, but Matsui, standing beside him, was different. He held a plate with both hands, on which lay something on a silk cloth. There was a small incense burner at the edge of the plate, emitting wisps of smoke. It looked like a decorative item. Matsui respectfully presented the plate to President Oiwa, bowed slightly, and smiled at Suzuki.

In Inuyama Heita's eyes, the smoke rising from the incense burner gradually formed the shape of a curled-up infant in the air, solidifying without dispersing. However, the people in the audience saw none of this. They simply looked at Suzuki on stage with envy and longing.

"That's!" Inuyama Heita's pupils contracted as he saw the shape formed by the smoke.

Qian Xiaoyi took out his lighter, lit the cigarette in his mouth, and exhaled a puff of secondhand smoke. "...It's finally starting."